Before you get yourself a kitten or an adult cat, it is better to know how to care for them. And the first problem you may face is toilet training. It doesn't matter how old your pet is. It is necessary to accustom to the tray at any age, especially since you brought it to a new house for him.
To get started, purchase a tray from a specialty pet store. They come with and without mesh. Lattice trays are more often used without filler, while trays without mesh and with high sides are designed for litter toilet. Usually cats like to rummage in the sand after using the toilet to bury their tracks. The litter can also be purchased with the tray at the store. They vary in quality and price. Choose what you can afford. Expensive fillers keep the smell for a long time and absorb moisture well, they need to be changed as they become dirty, and cheaper ones need to be changed more often. Remember that all fillers should be thrown into the trash can, not down the toilet. With the filler, it will be easier for you to explain to the cat what is required of him.
After you bring the cat home, he will choose a secluded spot somewhere under the bed or closet. Do not try to get him out of there, so he gets to know your apartment and the people and animals living in it. As the adaptation period passes, he himself will come out to you. Place the tray and food next to its secluded place. Later, you will put them away wherever it is convenient for you.
Introduce your pet to his new toilet. To do this, place the cat in the litter box and scrape it with a paw in the litter. During play, as well as after sleeping and eating, take the cat to the litter box, reminding him that this is his toilet. If the kitten has done his business in the wrong place, then carefully collect his stool with a rag or newspaper and put it all in the tray. Let the cat smell appear in the tray.
Do not punish the pet with force, do not poke your nose into the puddles, it is better to strictly say "No!" Cats are well versed in the intonation of people. After such a punishment, take it to the tray and rummage with its paw in the filler. When your pet goes into the tray, praise him in a gentle voice, pet him, you can treat him with something tasty.
It is better to immediately wash the places of puddles in the apartment with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or vinegar. You can rub the area with a piece of lemon. Do not use chlorine chemicals, they attract cats as well as the smell of meat.
It happens that adult cats begin to mark corners in the apartment, the owner's shoes and even his things. Do not think that in this way the cat is taking revenge on you for something, he just does not like the smell of the things he marks. It could be the smell of someone else's cat on your clothes, or an unpleasant smell of chemistry, or mating season. Expelling someone else's smell, cats leave their own and calm down. To solve this problem, you can sterilize the animal and wash the places of the label as described above.
Some helpful tips.
If you took a very small kitten, then you become a mother for him. And you must show him where his toilet is and how to use it. Be patient, you will need at least two to three days to learn.
If your adult cat has given birth to kittens, then at first she will clean up their excrement after them. In the future, she will show you how to use the tray. Kittens learn from their mother and from each other, so there shouldn't be any problems.
If you sheltered a cat from the street, then it is better to use sand instead of filler at first. This is important because outside of the house, this cat most likely buried its affairs in the ground. This will shorten the time it takes to train your cat to the litter box.
If you took an adult cat or cat, then ask the owners for his tray. And don't forget to ask what kind of litter was used in the toilet. Cats are very picky, and, having got used to one type of litter, it is very difficult for them to accustom to another.
If you already have one cat, and you brought another kitten, then it will be easy to train your baby. Place their trays next to each other, and over time, the kitten will begin to imitate the older cat.
Love your pets and they will love you.
